1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headlight for a vehicle, especially a motor vehicle, and, more particularly, to a headlight for a vehicle comprising a light source, a reflector by means of which light issuing from the light source is reflected and a light ray stop, which has a pot-shaped region, by which a part of the light from the light source is blocked off so that it does not reach the reflector.
2. Prior Art
This type of headlight is described in DE 197 44 998A1. This headlight has a light source, a reflector by which light issuing from the light source is reflected and a light ray stop or mask. The light ray stop has a sleeve-shaped region. A part of the light from the light source is block off by the sleeve-like portion so that it does not issue from the headlight. The light beam from the headlight must have a sufficient horizontal scattering in order to illuminate the region in front of the vehicle over a large width. It is desirable to obtain the horizontal scattering of the light already by means of the reflector, which is formed so that light from the light source is reflected by it with the required horizontal scattering. However a portion of the light reflected by the reflector to form the beam falls on the sleeve-shaped region of the light ray stop. Light falling on the sleeve-shaped region of the light ray stop is reflected by it and thus produces, under some circumstances, an undesirable scattered light and an annoying glare.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a headlight for a vehicle of the above-described type, which has a light ray stop with a pot-shaped region, but does not have the above-described disadvantages and does not produce an annoying glare from the light ray stop.
This object and others, which will be made more apparent hereinafter, are attained in a headlight for a vehicle comprising a light source, a reflector by which light issuing from the light source is reflected and a light ray stop, which has a pot-shaped region and which is arranged so that a part of the light from the light source is blocked off so that it does not reach the reflector.
According to the invention the pot-shaped region of the light ray stop has a wall or casing provided with a plurality of openings through which a portion of the light reflected by a reflector region near the peak portion of the reflector and failing on the pot-shaped region at least partially passes into the pot-shaped region of the light ray stop, i.e. into the interior of the light ray stop through the openings.
The headlight according to the invention has the advantage that a portion of the light reflected by the reflector onto the sleeve-shaped portion of the light ray stop is at least partially not reflected by it. Instead it at least partially passes into an interior region in the pot-shaped portion of the light ray stop and thus causes no undesirable light scattering and glare.
Preferred embodiments of the headlight of the present invention provide further advantages.
In a preferred embodiment of the headlight of the invention the pot-shaped region is provided with respective cover elements associated with corresponding openings in the wall of the light ray stop, which are formed and arranged so that another portion of the light propagated directly from the light source toward the openings is blocked by the cover elements and does not pass through the openings and issue from the light ray stop, and the portion of the light reflected from the reflector region near the reflector peak that is directed toward the light ray stop passes through the openings into the pot-shaped region.
In a particularly advantageous preferred embodiment the cover elements are at least partially reflective and arranged so that a further portion of the light reflected by the reflector that is propagated toward the pot-shaped region and toward the cover elements is at least partially reflected by the cover elements toward the openings and into the pot-shaped region. The features of this embodiment further reduce the undesirable scattered light that can cause troublesome glare.
Advantageously the cover elements are at least partially approximately planar, the openings are distributed circumferentially around the pot-shaped region and over a longitudinal extent of the pot-shaped region. The cover elements protrude out from the wall or casing of the pot-shaped region.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the light ray stop has a pot-shaped portion made from a curved metal sheet, preferably formed into a hollow cylinder. Then openings in the wall or casing are provided by bending out sections of the curved metal sheet. The bent out sections of the curved metal sheet form the cover elements. This embodiment is particularly easy to manufacture.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the headlight the pot-shaped region of the light ray stop has an interior surface at least partially provided with a light-absorbing and/or black coating.